CROWN I-TECH SERIES TAKES MARKET BY STORMCROWN I-TECH SERIES TAKES MARKET BY STORM

CROWN I-TECH SERIES TAKES MARKET BY STORMCROWN I-TECH SERIES TAKES MARKET BY STORM

Friday, April 2, 2004 12:00:00 AM America/New_York

ELKHART, IN, USA - April 2004 -- Crown International today provided an update on the adoption into the marketplace of their new flagship touring amplifier, the I-Tech Series. “We have never seen this much excitement about a new product introduction in our history,” stated Stephen Morris, Market Director for Touring Sound, Installed Sound and Cinema markets at Crown. “The tremendous success of this new line proves that the industry was hungry for a ‘no excuses’ product like I-Tech, and we feel confident that we have delivered on our promises. Typically, there is an initial buzz around a product introduction with an associated spike in orders, but with I-Tech we have seen unprecedented demand that started the day we announced the product, which continues to this day.”

Crown reports worldwide sales of over 1,500 units to date. Over 50 touring companies, rental houses and other customers in North and South America, Europe, Asia and Australia have received shipment of their initial orders, and the response continues to be overwhelmingly positive as these companies evaluate the amplifiers and integrate them into their inventory. Albert Leccese, VP of Engineering for Audio Analysts, a major US touring company, had this to say about I-Tech: “When Crown first came and showed us the I-Tech amps, we were very intrigued with the possibilities they offered us. We have been touring with our Macro-Tech inventory for years with great success, but I-Tech offers some very attractive new options.”

Leccese continues: “Once we took delivery of our I-Techs and began working with them, we really began to see how much of a leap forward these amps really are. One thing we particularly like, besides the obvious advantage of lighter weight, is the built-in diagnostics capabilities. Besides being able to monitor amp status on the front panel and across the network, we can also download the statistics about the amps after they come back off the road and evaluate their performance and keep track of their hours of operation, which will really help us manage our inventory. There are many other things we like about these amps, and we are eager to get our entire inventory moved over to I-Tech.”

As customers are taking delivery of their first shipments of I-Tech amplifiers, many are already noting how much better their systems sound. Loudspeakers sound better with higher voltage, and I-Tech amplifiers offer unprecedented voltage potential, allowing them to more accurately reproduce transient peaks in the program material. Leccese noted: “We were really excited about how great the I-Tech amps sound. They are definitely a worthy successor to the MA series we have in our present inventory, because they really sound alive. They have a great low end response and have a smooth, natural response across all bands.”

Early indications show that I-Tech is quickly establishing itself as the “Tour de Force” for touring power!

Crown International, a Harman International company, manufactures amplifiers, microphones, and systems control products for professional audio markets worldwide, with corporate headquarters located in Elkhart, Indiana. For more information, please visit Crown online at www.crownaudio.com.